Ruling instrument



v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I n 2 m MB. N Ju ql. 2 K W V v m K, m v .q a m 2 F J m 0 F 2 July 20, 1965 w. E. REGAN RULING INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 15, 1961 Attorneys July 20, 1965 w. E. REGAN mane INSTRUMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 15, 1961 'Fig. IO

INVENTOR. William E. Regan BYQZM Attorneys United States Patent 3,195,235 RULING INSTRUMENT William IE. Regan, Burlingame, Califi, assigns: to Regan Industries, Inc., Burlingame, Qaiif, a corporation of California Filed Aug. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 131,574 I Claim. ((11. 33109) This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 684,351, filed September 16, 1957.

This invention relates generally to ruling instruments such as are used by drafts-men, ofi'ice Workers and the like.

In general, it is an object of the invention to improve upon the construction of such instruments, particularly with respect to means provided for permitting parallel movement of a ruling instrument or ruler.

It is another object of the invention to provide a ruler of the above type which acts positively to hold itself in an aligned position on a surface and to resist undesired longitudinal and angular movement.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a ruler of the above type making use of a weighted bar and rollers, wherein improved means are employed to secure the rollers onto the bar.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a ruler of the above type which is adjustable as to dimensron.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description and the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a ruling instrument embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in section and elevation along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, illustrating a vertical position of the rollers and supporting bar;

FIGURE 3 is a view in section and elevation along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1, illustrating a different vertical position of the rollers and supporting bar;

I FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail view illustrating a step in the assembly of the device;

FIGURE 5 is a like view of an assembled device;

FIGURE 6 is a view in side elevation on a reduced scale illustrating a further step in the assembly of the device; 7

FIGURE 7 is a like view showing a still further step in the assembly of the device;

FIGURE 9 is a large detailed view thereof; and

FIGURES 10 and 11 are views in section along the line 1I11 of FIGURE 8, illustrating the assembly and use of the device illustrated in FIGURE 8.

Generally stated, a ruler of the present invention comprises a flat surface engaging portion having apertures through which a pair of surface engaging roller means are adapted to extend downwardly into contact with the surface over which the ruler is moved. Preferably, the separate rollers are adapted to act in concert, and as will be presently explained, are constructed in such a manner as to facilitate movement of the ruler into successive parallel positions while resisting undesired longitudinal or angular movement.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 8 indicates a ruler bearing conventional indicia 12. Pressed upwardly from the body or base portion 10 of the ruler are a pair of upstanding support members 14, each being provided with an elongated vertically extending slot 16. Adjacent the support members are a pair of enlarged apertures or windows 18. Additional windows 19 may also be provided. Desirably the body 10 of the ruler is strengthened by the provision of a reinforcing or stiifening 'rib 2t) extending around the ruler adjacent its periphery.

In accordance with the invention, the ruler is provided with surface engaging roller means to facilitate the succcssive parallel movements of the base portion 10. In the form of the device illustrated, such means includes an elongated, weighted bar 22 mounted for rotation in the slots 16 of the upstanding support members. Rollers 24 which preferably are press-fit on the ends of the bar 22 are adapted to extend downwardly through the apertures 18 into engagement with a surface over which the ruler is moved. The rollers 24 are of substantially identical diameter and dimension so as to insure parallel movements.

As is particularly shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, each roller 24 is provided with an'outwardly, gradually flaring peripheral wall 26 and a central hub portion 28 adapted to accurately maintain the alignment of the peripheral wall relative to the elongated bar 22. This con struction provides the rollers with an edge point of contact or biting edge 29 in engagement'with the surf-ace. The effect of this biting edge is to resist all but rolling movement of a roller, the pair of rollers acting in concert to insure parallel movements of the ruler in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the bar 22. During such movements of the ruler, the apertures 18 and windows 19 permit a constant visual check of alignment in relation to indicia appearing on the surface.

To insure proper rolling movements of the rollers 24 in parallel relationship to one another, it is essential that the rollers be tightly secured to the weighted bar 22. One difficulty encountered heretofore has been an imperfect fit of a roller on the surface of the bar sothat the roller became loose or canted on the rod, preventing true parallel movements of the ruler.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 5, I have found that an improved assembly of the rollers on the rod can be obtained by first grinding the surface of the rod 22 to rernove burrs and imperfections and to obtain a predetermined outside diameter. This diameter is approximately equal to the inside diameter of a cylindrical hub portion 23 of the rollers 24. The latter are press-fit onto the surface of the bar 22 as indicated in FIGURE 4. Thereafter the entire unit, comprising the bar 22 and rollers 24, is plated with a suitable metallic coating. By way of illustration, the bar 22 and rollers 24 can be fabricated of cold rolled steel and, following assembly as in FIGURE 4, the entire unit can be electroplated with a standard nickel plate, as indicated at 5d.

As clearly indicated in FIGURE 5, the metallic plating material builds up on either side of the roller and effectively holds the roller in place on the shaft.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate an assembly of the roller unit comprising .the bar 22 and rollers 24, into position between the upstanding supports 14. The first step is to insert one end of the bar 22. through an aperture 16 of the support, as indicated in the right hand portion of FIGURE 6. The opposite support 14 is then bent to one side to allow insertion of the other end of the rod 22, following which the support is returned to its vertical position, as illustrated in FIGURE 7. The integral plated rolling unit is now firmly positioned between the supports, and the roller members 24 likewise firmly positioned on the weighted bar 22.

In the use of the device, one edge of the ruler can be positioned as desired on a drawing, writing or other surface and the ruler then moved by light rolling pressure applied to the bar 22 to position such edge in a second desired position parallel to the first. Parallel movement of this type will result regardless of where the pressure is applied to the bar 22. In contrast, sidewise or angular pressure exerted on the bar or ruler base will be resisted by the biting edges 29 of the rollers which are maintained 2, inconstant engagement with the surface by the weight of the bar 22. It will be understood that as the ruler is moved across the surface, any vertical movement of the ruler relative to the rollers is accommodated bythe slots 16.

For-many purposes, it'is desirable tohave a ruler of greater dimension than that illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 7.

The construction of theruling instrument of the presentinvention is such that its'lengthcan be greatly. increasedby a-simplemodification, for example, asiillustrated in FIG- .URES 8 to 11.

Referring toFIGURE 8, the ruler 8 is shown in combination with a simple attachment 30 which functions to greatly extend the useful length of the ruling instrument. In the preferred form illustrated, the attachment30 comprises an elongated planar member 32 of spring steel or other flexible-material, which is secured to the ruler?) by suitable .clip .means. As shown in FXGURES l and 11, the clip means preferably consists of a ,pair of resilient elements 34 having innercontoured terminal portions 38 adapted to fit withinithe upwardly extending recess of thereinforcing or stiffening rib '20. The outer ends of the 7 elements 34 areoffset in a vertical direction, as at 40, providing lower surface engaging portions '36. Theotfset portions .of theclipelements permit them to .be conveni- ,ently connected to the ruler attachment 30, for example,

by rivets 42, .in such manner as to avoid frictional engagement of the connecting means with the paper or other surface over which therule is moved.' This-is of'importance in assuring a scratchfree use of the ruler device.-

Itwill be understood thatrthe device 30 can :be quickly and easily attached to the inscribed :edge ofthe ruler-8 to-provide aruling-instrument of extended length. If de sired the attachment device can itself be provided with suitable indicia, represented at;44. The elongated ruler is:then capable of use in themanner previously described. During such use, theattachment '30 is held ina position slightly elevatedabove thesurface over which it ismoved, reducing frictional dragand facilitating use in marking and similar drafting applications.

' 'From'theabove descriptiomit will be apparent that the ruling instruments of the invention 'can be simply fabricated and assembledto'produ'ce a device of rugged con-- struction which will withstand repeated use without misalignment of the parts suchas would render the device inetfective. The resultant .rule .can be manipulated into a series .of successive parallel positions, simply, and with a minimum of effort. Thexdevices of the invention are also useful as conventional rulers, and consequently may be used with advantage in a wide range of drafting and clerical operations I claim:

A ruler. adapted to parallel movement comprising an elongated rectangularsubstantially flattened ruler portion, said ruler portion being provided with a stiffening ridge about its periphery, the area within said ridge being provided with a pair of spacedapart apertures, an upstanding slotted support member adjacent the outer edge of each of said apertures, the slots of said supportrnembers being slightly elongated in a verticalplane, an elongated cylindrical weighted bar rotatably and slidably mounted in the slots ofsaid support members,surface-engaging roller means secured to said rotatablebar and adapted to extend downwardly through said apertures into-engagement with'the surface over which the ,ruler is moved, said roller means including inner cylindrical portions tightly engaged upon;-said bar and gradually outward flaring peripheral portions. providing biting ,edges adapted to ,provide parallel rolling motions over said surface, said inner cylindrical portion including ends substantiallyadjacent the bar, and a metallic coating covering exposed portions of said bar and roller means, said metallic-coatingforming a surface on said bar butted againstthe .endsiof the inner cylindrical portions whereby it servesto hold said roller means firmlyzin place on said bar, each-of said rollermeansbing positioned .on said bar soasto be inwardly adjacent an upstanding support member, whereby'said biting edgesserve to prevent undesired longitudinal andangular movement .oftheruler as itis moved between successive parallel positions by said 'barandroller means, said ruler having attached thereto a ruler extension of greater length than saidflattened ruler portion, said ruler extension including resilient clip means adapted to engage within said stiffening ridge of said ruler portion, said resilient-clip means also providing a lower flattened surface engagingportion adapted to :hold the rulerextension above said surface.

'Reterences Cited by: the Examiner UNITED STATES PAT ENiT S 610,954 9/98 Thomas.

630,923 8/99 Palmer 3'3-1'10'X 807,148 12/05 Bachia ,33107 1,005,218 "10/11 *Holmes 3 3-109 1,449,829 3/23 Miller 29-460 1,511,378 10/24 Strom' 33-109 2,059,289 ll/'36 Svensson 33-107 X 2,382,209 8/45 Crocker 204-16 FOREIGN PATENTS 174,251 1/22 Great Britain.

ISAAC LISANN, Primary Examiner 

